Syria's FM: Israel supported terrorist groups in country
Taking the world stage at UNGA, Foreign Minister Walid Muallem says 'Israel continues to occupy a part of our land in the Syrian Golan and our people there continue to suffer because of its depressive and oppressive policies,' blames the US for massacring civilians.
During Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem's speech at the United Nations General Assembly, he called upon Israel to retreat from the Israeli Golan Heights and slammed it for helping "terror organizations" operating in the war-torn country.
"It is high time for all those detached from reality to wake up, let go of their fantasies, and come to their senses, see matters realistically," he said. "They must realize they will not achieve politically what they failed to achieve by force," Muallem said.
"We haven't renounced our national principles during the war, nor we'll renounce them today," he went on to say.
"Israel continues to occupy a part of our land in the Syrian Golan and our people there continue to suffer because of its depressive and oppressive policies. Israel even supported terrorist groups that operated in southern Syria protecting them through direct military intervention and launching repeated attacks on Syrian territories.
"But, as we liberated southern Syria from terrorists we are determined to liberate fully the occupied Syrian Golan to the lines of 1967. Syria demands that the international community put an end to all these practices," the Syrian foreign minister demanded.
Addressing Syria' seven-year civil war, Muallem said the offensive against the "terrorists" is approaching its end.
Moallem's upbeat speech praised the army and the Syrian people for remaining "defiant" during the war, "fully convinced that this was a battle for their existence." He bashed Western and other countries supporting the opposition, alluding to their failed effort to install a transition government and get rid of Assad.
"To the disappointment of some, here we are today more than seven years into this dirty war against my country, announcing to the world that the situation on the ground has become more secure and stable, and that our battle against terrorism is almost over.
"Thousands of Syrians are returning to their homeland, and our country is open to all those Syrian who immigrated aboard. Our government will do what is takes to assist the refugees," he asserted.
Muallem also thanked Russia for its support of the Syrian regime and blasted the US for backing "terrorists" who act against Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Declaring that victory over "terrorism" is almost at hand, Muallem demanded that "occupation" forces from the US, France and Turkey leave the country immediately.
"The US has established an international coalition under the auspices of fighting terror and radicalism. However, this coalition has completely ruined the city of Raqqa and its infrastructures," he lashed out.
"The US continues massacring civilians, including women and children. It is violating international law," he vented.
The United States, aided by Syrian Kurdish-led fighters, helped rout the Islamic State extremist group from all urban areas in Syria but remains in the country because pockets of IS militants remain. Turkey says it is fighting IS but is also seeking to curb the spread of the Syrian Kurdish militia that it considers "terrorists."
Moallem said "any foreign presence on Syrian territory without the consent of the Syrian government is illegal, and constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and the UN Charter."
"We therefore consider any forces operating on Syrian territory without an explicit request from the Syrian government, including US, French and Turkish forces, occupying forces and will be dealt with accordingly," he said. "They must withdraw immediately and without any conditions."
Furthermore, Syria's foreign minister denied his country used chemical weapon against its civilians.
"We condemn the use of chemical weapons anywhere and anytime. Syria has completed its chemical weapons dismantling program and carried out all of its obligations on the matter.
"Syria is prepared to be monitored by a chemical weapons inquiry committee, since we know the committee's investigation will contradict the allegations attributed to Syria," he stated.
Syrian government forces, backed by Russia and Iran, have retaken most of the territory rebels seized during the war that has killed over 400,000 people and driven millions from their homes. President Bashar Assad's government refers to all armed opposition and rebel groups fighting Syrian forces as "terrorists," not just Islamic State or al-Qaida members.
Last week, Russia and Turkey agreed to a deal which stopped an imminent Syrian government offensive to retake the last major rebel stronghold in the northern province of Idlib. It calls for setting up a demilitarized zone around Idlib to separate government forces from rebels, including those from the al-Qaida-linked group formerly known as the Nusra Front.
"We hope that when the agreement is implemented, the Nusra Front and other terrorists will be eradicated, thus eliminating the last remnants of terrorism in Syria," Moallem said.
While Turkey confronts the difficult task of trying to separate the forces in Idlib, the UN envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, is trying to bring the warring parties together to move forward on long-stalled political talks aimed at ending the war.
De Mistura is hoping to convene the first meeting of a committee to reform the country's constitution, a key step in a 2012 roadmap adopted by world powers that is to culminate with elections and the formation of a new government. He told The Associated Press this week that October will be crucial.
Moallem signaled difficulties ahead in negotiations, indicating in his speech that Syria doesn't want a new constitution. "We stress that the mandate of the committee is limited to reviewing the articles of the current constitution," the Syrian minister said.
He added that Syria "will not accept any proposal that constitutes an interference in internal affairs of Syria, or leads to such interference."
Before taking up the world stage at the UN, Muallem met with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif with whom he agreed to continue cooperation between the two countries.
